Counting-train.



W. S. .SPRAGUE & G. HOOKHAM. GOUNTING TRAIN. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1a,1908.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Cir

WALTER SIDNEY SPRAGUE AND GEORGE HOOKHAM, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

CGUNTING-TRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1809.

Application filed May 18, 1908. Serial No. 433,543;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that we, WALTER SIDN Y SPRAGUE and GEORGE HooKHAn, subjectsof .the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at 4 NewBartholomew street, Birmingham, in the county of Varwick, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Counting-Trains, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to counting trains for electricity meters of thecyclometer type. When using counters of this description, asdistinguished from the ordinary continuously rotating ty c, it issometimes desired to return all the gures to zero. Heretofore this 0oration has been able to be performed only y rotating the whole counterthrough a complete cycle of the figures. When, as is usually the case,the counter lis connected through a train of wheels and pinions or wormwheels to a rotating body such as the armature of an electricity meterthis occu ies much time and may involve the removaof the counting trainand some of the wheels.

The object of this invention is to avoid this inconvenience with jumpcounters and to so arrange the driving or counting train that it is notnecessary to rotate the whole of the train in order to bring all tozero.

The invention consists in introducing one or more clutches into thetrain so constructed and arranged that it can be readily operatedwithout removing any part of the counter.

The invention further consistsin the improved apparatus hereinafterdescribed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a front elevation ofa counting train to which our invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the countingtrain in gear forrunning, while Fig. 4 is a side elevation with theunits spindle free for returning the dials to the zero position and Fig.5 shows the front of the counting. train with the plate and dialsremoved.

In carrying the invention. into effect according to one modification,one of the pinions or'the counting train is mounted upon I an axiallymovable spindle so that it may be put outof mesh with the wheel withwhich it normallyengages, and so that it may be rellhe turned readily tothe normal position after the counting train hasbeen put back to zero.

To facilitate the rotation of the'train in order to reset to zero, wemay apply a key or milled button to the spindle or spindles which arereleased.

In the construction of counting train illus-, trated the 1/ 10th unitspindle, a, which carries a pointer is mounted so that it can slideaxially in its bearings and is normally held with its pinion, b, inengagement with the pinion, c, on the units spindle, d, by the pressureof the spring e, on its rear end.

pinion, f, by which the 1 /10th unit spind e is driven from the inion,g, is always in engagement with suc pinion which is always in gear withthe armature spindle. The spindle upon which the pinion g is mountedalso carries a pointer to indicate 1/100ths of a unit. The thousandsdial, h, is frictionally held on its spindle, is, and can be readilyturned back to zero without moving any other portion of the countingtrain.

In the above described construction in order to reset the dials to zerothe spindle, a, is pressed in the rearward direction; the pinion, I),thereby disengaging the wheel, 0, so that the units, tens and hundredsdials can be rotated to zero by rotating the wheel, a. The thousandsdial, h, is reset to zero by simply turning it on its spindle, 7c.

If more than four'dials are provided the arrangement above describedmaybe duplicated, the thousands dial being placed out of engagement andrdtatedin a similar manner to that above described.

In order to insure that the various pinions and toothed wheels mayremain in correct engagement during running, w may provide any suitablecatches holding them in position.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is A counting train for electricity meterscomprising an armature shaft, I a train of gearing, means for drivingsaid gearing from said armature shaft, 9. spindle, a dial carriedthereon, a pinion on said spindle driven by said gearing, a train ofjump counters oper- In testimony whereof, we affix our signaated by saidspindle, dials loperated by said tures in presence of two witnesses.

jump counters a frictions mounting holding upon its spindle the one ofsaid dials ina cheating the highest value; included in said train oirgearing a spindle, a spring pressing Witnesses: v axially thereon, andan axially movable SYDNEY HOLMWOOD HOLDEN, pinion on said last namedspindle. WILLIAM WORTON.

